Seasonal Depression-Seasonal Affective Disorder

It’s that time of year again. The days are shorter, colder and less sunny. Many people notice a shift in their mood around this time. But are you just missing the summer or could it be something more? Roughly 20 percent of people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) with it effecting women four times more often than men. SAD is seven times more common in the north than the south. Seasonal affective disorder is cyclical—usually causing depressive periods during fall and winter seasons and non-depressed periods during spring and summer. Other symptoms of SAD include sleeping more than usual, having less energy, losing interest in activities, an inability to focus and think clearly, and increased appetite.

There’s a lot that you can do to tackle Seasonal Affective Disorder and even work to prevent it by starting these treatments before you typically start experiencing symptoms.

Make your environment brighter
Open the curtains in your house each morning, sit by a window to work, take every chance to be in and around sunlight more. If you don’t have much natural sunlight in your home or work in an office without windows then you may benefits from light box therapy. Light therapy boxes give off light that mimics sunshine and can help recovery from seasonal affective disorder. The light from the therapy boxes is significantly brighter than regular light bulbs and provides light in different wavelengths. Typically, if you have SAD, you sit in front of a light box for about 30 minutes a day. This will stimulate your body’s circadian rhythms and suppress its natural release of melatonin. Light therapy is most effective in the morning, research shows.

Get outside
Make time to get outside for at least thirty minutes to an hour each day. Take a short walk, lie in a hammock, read a book outside, or practice yoga in the yard.

Exercise
Exercise helps lift the mood; it can also help keep extra weight off as people with SAD often gain weight during the fall and winter. If you don’t currently have an exercise routine, consider weight lifting, yoga, zumba, jogging, and water aerobics or just take a brisk walk each day. Aim for thirty minutes of exercise a day.

Mind-body therapies
Consider practicing yoga or meditation.  Acupuncture and massage are great options as well as practicing stress management.

Supplements
some people choose to take a supplement to treat depression, such as:

• St. John’s wort. This herb is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression in the United States, but it’s a popular depression treatment in Europe. It may be helpful if you have mild or moderate depression.

• SAMe. Pronounced “sam-E,” this dietary supplement is a synthetic form of a chemical that occurs naturally in the body. The name is short for S-adenosyl–L-methionine (es-uh-den-o-sul-el-muh-THIE-o-neen). Like St. John’s wort, SAMe isn’t approved by the FDA to treat depression in the United States, but it’s used in Europe as a prescription drug to treat depression. SAMe may trigger mania in people with bipolar disorder.

• Melatonin. This dietary supplement is a synthetic form of a hormone occurring naturally in the body that helps regulate mood. A change in the season to less light may change the level of melatonin in your body. Taking melatonin could decrease winter-onset SAD.

• Omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are found in cold-water fish, flaxseed, flax oil, walnuts and some other foods. Omega-3 supplements are being studied as a possible treatment for depression. 1g of EPA has been proven to help people with depression.

• 5HTP. (5-hydroxytryptophan) is a naturally occurring substance derived from the seed pods of Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant. In humans, 5-HTP is the immediate nutrient precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. This means that 5-HTP converts directly into serotonin in the brain. 5HTP is a great option for someone who suffers from both depression and anxiety.

• Vitamin D3. Low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to depression. As it gets colder, we are covered up more and not outside as often therefore we get less sun, meaning less Vitamin D. Supplementing with D3 can be beneficial in preventing depression. It is recommended to take 5,000-10,000IU each day if you’re deficient. It is important to get tested every three months or so if you are taking a dose that high. The optimal level of 25 hydroxy d (the test doctors run) should be 50-70 ng/ml range.

In addition to these lifestyle changes and supplements it is important to socialize, keep a regular schedule, and take care of yourself. If you know that you become depressed every year around fall then it is suggested that you begin these practices in the summer to help prevent depression and SAD.

As always, talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements or lifestyle changes.